View source for Alan Ball Sr.

{{short description|English footballer and manager}}
{{For|his son, the England World Cup winner|Alan Ball Jr.}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Alan Ball Sr.
| image = 
| fullname = James Alan Ball
| height = 
| birth_date = {{birth date|1924|9|26|df=y}}<ref name=fl/>
| birth_place = [[Farnworth]], [[Lancashire]], England
| death_date = {{death date and age|1982|1|2|1924|9|26|df=y}}<ref name=Hugman/>
| death_place = [[Nicosia]], Cyprus
| position = [[Inside forward]]
| youthyears1 = 
| youthclubs1 = 
| years1 = –
| clubs1 = Bolton B.F.
| years2 = 1946–1947
| clubs2 = [[Southport F.C.|Southport]]
| caps2 = 2
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 1947–1948
| clubs3 = [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]]
| caps3 = 0
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 1948–1950
| clubs4 = [[Southport F.C.|Southport]]
| caps4 = 39
| goals4 = 9
| years5 = 1950–1952
| clubs5 = [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]]
| caps5 = 7
| goals5 = 1
| years6 = 1952
| clubs6 = [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]]
| caps6 = 5
| goals6 = 1
| manageryears1 = 1953-1955
| managerclubs1 = [[Oswestry Town F.C.|Oswestry Town]]
| manageryears2 = 
| managerclubs2 = [[Borough United F.C.|Borough United]]
| manageryears3 = 1959-1961
| managerclubs3 = [[Ashton United F.C.|Ashton United]]
| manageryears4 = 1962-1966
| managerclubs4 = [[Nantwich Town F.C.|Nantwich]]
| manageryears5 = 1967–1970
| managerclubs5 = [[Halifax Town A.F.C.|Halifax Town]]
| manageryears6 = 1970–1973
| managerclubs6 = [[Preston North End F.C.|Preston North End]]
| manageryears7 = 1973–1975
| managerclubs7 = [[Southport F.C.|Southport]]
| manageryears8 = 1974
| managerclubs8 = [[IF Saab]]
| manageryears9 = 1975
| managerclubs9 = [[IK Sirius Fotboll|IK Sirius]]
| manageryears10 = 1976–1977
| managerclubs10 = Halifax Town
| manageryears11 = 1978
| managerclubs11 = [[Västerhaninge IF]]
| manageryears12 = 1979
| managerclubs12 = [[Djurgårdens IF Fotboll|Djurgårdens IF]]
| manageryears13 = 1980–1981
| managerclubs13 = [[Västerhaninge IF]]
}}
'''James Alan Ball''' (26 September 1924 – 2 January 1982) was an English [[association football|football]] player and manager.

==Playing career==
Born in [[Farnworth]], [[Lancashire]], Ball played as an [[inside forward]] for Bolton Boys Federation, [[Southport F.C.|Southport]] (in two spells), [[Birmingham City F.C.|Birmingham City]] (although he did not play a [[Football League]] match for them), [[Oldham Athletic A.F.C.|Oldham Athletic]] and [[Rochdale A.F.C.|Rochdale]].<ref name=fl>{{cite web |url=http://www.neilbrown.newcastlefans.com/player5/alanball.html |title=Alan Ball |website=Post War English & Scottish Football League A–Z Player's Transfer Database |publisher=Neil Brown |access-date=30 April 2016}}</ref>

==Managerial career==
Ball started his managerial career<ref>{{Cite web|title=Project 1878|url=https://jgslelc.wixsite.com/project1878/alan-ball-sippm}}</ref> as player-boss of [[Oswestry Town F.C.|Oswestry Town]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.tnsfc.co.uk/oswestrymanager/|title=Oswestry Town Managers|publisher=tnsfc.co.uk|date=27 January 2016|access-date=8 January 2017}}</ref> then managed [[Borough United F.C.|Borough United]], [[Ashton United F.C.|Ashton United]] and [[Nantwich Town F.C.|Nantwich]], helping the Cheshire side to a treble of Mid-Cheshire League, League Cup and Cheshire Amateur Cup in 1963/64.<ref>{{Cite book |last=CHATWIN |first=MICHAEL |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1199329275 |title=ULTIMATE BOOK OF NANTWICH TOWN FOOTBALL CLUB. |date=2020 |publisher=EMPIRE |isbn=978-0-9563068-2-1 |location=[S.l.] |oclc=1199329275}}</ref>  In the summer of 1966, he left the Dabbers to take up a coaching role with [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]]. He managed [[Halifax Town A.F.C.|Halifax Town]] in two separate spells (1967–1970) and (1976–1977), and in between these he managed [[Preston North End]] between 1970 and 1973 winning the Division 3 title,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.leaguemanagers.com/managers/alan-ball-snr/ |title=Alan Ball (Snr) |publisher=League Managers Association |access-date=30 April 2016}}</ref> and [[Southport F.C.|Southport]], [[IF Saab]] and [[IK Sirius Fotboll|IK Sirius]].<ref name=southport>{{cite web |url=http://www.southportfootballclub.co.uk/home/manager.php?id=40&show_all=1 |title=Alan Ball |website=Port Online |publisher=Daniel Hayes |access-date=30 April 2016 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120910093742/http://www.southportfootballclub.co.uk/home/manager.php?id=40&show_all=1 |archive-date=10 September 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Ball managed [[Djurgårdens IF Fotboll|Djurgårdens IF]] in 1979.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://dif.se/om-dif/historia/ |title=Historia: Tränare A-laget |language=sv |trans-title=History: First-team managers |publisher=Djugården Fotboll |access-date=18 February 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120201131001/http://dif.se/om-dif/historia/ |archive-date=1 February 2012}}</ref>

==Outside football==
Ball also had stints as a publican. While at Oswestry Town he kept the King's Head in Church Street, [[Oswestry]].<ref name=shropstar>{{cite news|title=Former Oswestry soccer boss dies|work=Shropshire Star (North Edition)|date=4 January 1982|page=1}}</ref>

==Death==
He was killed in a car accident in [[Nicosia]], Cyprus, in January 1982 at the age of 57.<ref name=Hugman>{{Hugman|836|access-date=30 April 2016}}</ref><ref name=southport/> Ball had been engaged for what would have been his next managerial position, with the Cypriot team [[Evagoras Paphos]] and was being transported in a taxi from [[Larnaca Airport]] to start work when it crashed, reportedly killing him instantly.<ref name=shropstar/>

==Family==
At death Ball left his widow, his lifetime wife Vera.<ref name=shropstar/> His son [[Alan Ball Jr.|Alan Jr.]] played in England's [[1966 FIFA World Cup|1966 World Cup]]-winning team and later followed his father into management. In April 2021, Ball's grandson, [[Jimmy Ball (football manager)|Jimmy]], became the third generation of the family to manage in the Football League after being appointed interim manager at [[Forest Green Rovers F.C.|Forest Green Rovers]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.newschainonline.com/sport/mens-sport/football/jimmy-ball-had-to-take-forest-green-chance-after-winning-first-game-in-charge-151921|title=Jimmy Ball 'had to take' Forest Green chance after winning first game in charge|website=NewsChain|date=17 April 2021|accessdate=21 April 2021}}</ref>

Ball is the great-grandfather of professional footballers [[John McAtee]] and [[James McAtee]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/64982805 John & James McAtee on FA Cup runs, sibling rivalry and Mother's Day], Kelly Somers / Ian Woodcock, [[BBC Sport]], 17 March 2023</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{Navboxes
| title = Alan Ball managerial positions
| list1 = 
{{Halifax Town A.F.C. managers}}
{{Preston North End F.C. managers}}
{{Southport F.C. managers}}
{{Djurgårdens IF managers}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ball, Alan Sr.}}
[[Category:1924 births]]
[[Category:Footballers from Farnworth]]
[[Category:1982 deaths]]
[[Category:English men's footballers]]
[[Category:Men's association football inside forwards]]
[[Category:Ashton United F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Southport F.C. players]]
[[Category:Birmingham City F.C. players]]
[[Category:Oldham Athletic A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:Rochdale A.F.C. players]]
[[Category:English football managers]]
[[Category:Halifax Town A.F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Preston North End F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Southport F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Djurgårdens IF Fotboll managers]]
[[Category:Oswestry Town F.C. managers]]
[[Category:Stoke City F.C. non-playing staff]]
[[Category:Road incident deaths in Cyprus]]
[[Category:English Football League players]]
[[Category:20th-century English sportsmen]]
[[Category:Ball family (association football)|A]]
[[Category:IF Saab managers]]
[[Category:IK Sirius Fotboll managers]]


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